It's the first weekend without Trump stinkin' up the White House, but the pandemic rages on. If you're out of ideas for ways to stay entertained in these activity-restricted times, read on for our latest batch of suggestions, from a post-Inauguration reading list curated by Powell's Like List to Mike Bennett's real-life Bernie Sanders meme Past Event Like List on Alberta, and from fried chicken pop-ups like Prey + Tell Like List to Crystal Ballroom's 107th Birthday Past Event Like List . For even more options, read our guides to the best online events this week Like List and the best movies to watch this week Like List .
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SHOP LOCAL
Stack up a post-inauguration reading list. The sighs of relief are palpable now that Trump is no longer the president, but the vastly improved Biden-Harris administration is no reason to let individual social justice work fall to the wayside—especially after witnessing the impact of such work over these chaotic past four years. In addition to keeping up with the events on our activism & social justice (FKA protests & resistance) calendar, start by educating yourself about the policy reform Biden has planned for his first 100 days in office with books that address everything from the ongoing pandemic to immigration to climate change. Powell's Like List has put together a reading list that includes Evan Osnos's biography Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now, Anthony P. Carnevale's The Merit Myth (which argues for top-to-bottom public education reform), Jason Stanley's How Fascism Works, Zach Norris's We Keep Us Safe (which deals with criminal justice reform), Michael E. Mann's The New Climate War, and other essential tomes.
Upgrade your cold-weather beverage game with a new mug. The weather people are tentatively forecasting snow in Portland early next week, but whether or not that actually happens, this chilly mid-winter weekend is a good time to level up with some new receptacles from which to sip your warm drink of choice. We're fans of this diner-like one from Powell's Like List , even though we are sadly not the proud owners of a St. Bernard. For a more curated route, these porcelain ones from Copenhagen's Studio Arhoj are up for grabs at Little Otsu Like List . If you're feeling fancy, pretend you're on an opulent train to Russia with this stakan (metal holder) and podstakanik (glass) from Kachka, perfect for tea or hot booze. And for all the fixings, scoop up this skull mug set from Tea Chai Té, complete with a ceramic skull mug, tea filters, a tea-tasting notepad, and a tin of the tea of your choice. Once you've made your selection and brewed your coffee/tea/hot cocoa/hot toddy, curl up and watch a cozy movie like Paddington 2 Remind Like List (trust), Kiki's Delivery Service Remind Like List , or Groundhog Day Remind Like List .
FOOD & DRINK
Try birria. Thanks in part to spreading like wildfire on Instagram, birria, a spicy stewed Mexican meat dish often served in tacos, is having a major moment right now. It also starred in Netflix's irresistible food documentary series Taco Chronicles, which delves into the history and culture behind some of the most popular taco styles. After you're done binging the show, we have good news: Portland has recently welcomed an influx of solid birria joints. Check out the relatively new OG Birrieria Like List , Birrieria Carlos Like List , Birrieria La Plaza, Birrieria PDX Like List , and Birrieria Los 7 Hermanos Like List —OG Birrieria, Birrieria Carlos, and Birrieria PDX even serve a version with ramen noodles. Don't forget a cup of the salty consommé broth for dunking your tacos, French dip-style.
Check out new fried chicken pop-ups and restaurants. Fried chicken has been an in-demand trend for quite some time now, following the viral popularity of the Popeye's sandwich and stoked by the constant craving for takeout-friendly comfort food during the last year. Recently, Portland has gained a few new crispy chicken tenders contenders worth your consideration. The hip new delivery-and-takeout-only pop-up Prey + Tell Like List from Sunshine Noodles chef Diane Lam, inspired by "Cambodian streets meets French hospitality," offers fried chicken with a variety of house-made sauces and rice packs, including rice with edible glitter (!). Another ghost kitchen, Charlie's Hot Chicken Like List , demonstrates Dimo's Apizza Like List chef Doug Miriello's take on Nashville-style hot chicken. Malka Like List chef Eli Goldberg launched the pop-up Chicken Run, serving fried chicken with falafel waffles, in December (stay tuned for the next event). And finally, the team behind the celebrated Han Oak Like List opened their highly anticipated new spot Toki Like List last week, serving Han Oak's famous Korean fried chicken recipe with a selection of glazes and seasonings.
Celebrate Pie Day. This Saturday is National Pie Day, the first nationally recognized pie holiday of 2021. (There's also Pi Day on March 14 and another National Pie Day on December 1, but somehow, we don't see an issue with celebrating this one multiple times.) It can be observed by plunging your fork into some perfectly flaky, golden pastry crust—some of our favorite pie suppliers include The Pie Spot Like List , Lauretta Jean's Like List , Bakeshop Like List , Baker & Spice Like List , Pacific Pie Company, and Petunia's Pies & Pastries Like List .
Other notable weekend events:
Heyday Donuts Pop-Up
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Cafe Reina will host the small-batch specialty donut pop-up Heyday. Flavors include cinnamon sugar, dark chocolate sprinkles, white chocolate matcha, coconut sweet corn, Vietnamese coffee, and baked ube.
Café Reina, Northeast (Saturday)
Terrarium with Succulents, Healing Crystals and Wine
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Round out your weekend in the most relaxing way possible: by assembling your own unique terrarium planters filled with succulents and healing crystals while you drink wine. Kits include supplies, instructions, and four two-ounce bottles of wine. Delivery is free, but those who pick up their kits in person will get $5 off.
Pickup at Hip Chicks Do Wine, Southeast (Sunday)
OTHER PICKS
Pay a visit to a real-life Bernie meme. Bernie Sanders and his utilitarian parka unknowingly took over the internet (again) this week when a photographer captured the beloved socialist politician waiting for Wednesday's inauguration ceremonies to commence while he sat on a lonely folding chair with his legs and mittened hands crossed, as if he were waiting for his number to be called at the DMV on a chilly winter's day. The onslaught of memes flooded in fast (this one's pretty good), but Portland artist Mike Bennet's signature handpainted cardboard cut-out Past Event Like List version of the photo definitely takes the cake. You can see it in person in the Alberta Arts District among the artist's installation of zoo animals. For more of his work, head north to Mississippi Avenue to see his Planetary Promenade Past Event Like List collaboration with musician Billy Kelly, up through the end of February.
Try out for America's Got Talent. NBC's long-running all-ages reality show runs the gamut of disciplines, from singing to dancing to magic trick-performing, and they happen to be on the hunt for West Coast talent for their 16th season. In light of COVID, submissions are being accepted via pre-recorded videos, so if you're reading this on the West Coast (which you most likely are), you've racked up some new skills during the lockdown, and you'd like $1 million and a headlining show in Las Vegas, make an audition clip and send it their way. The West Coast open call is on Monday, January 25, so this weekend is the ideal time to perfect your talent.
Other notable weekend events:
Crystal Ballroom's 107th Birthday
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The bouncy-floored Burnside institution has seen some incredible acts over its lifetime (107 years this week, to be exact), and it deserves some birthday love. Whether you want to stay home and tune into virtual events or mask up and head over to a distanced dance party with DJ Gregarious under the tent outside of the Annex and enjoy a special hotel rate, you've got options.
Crystal Ballroom, Southwest (Friday-Sunday)
Hannah Newman: Pangea
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Conceptual artist Hannah Newman explores the relationship between digital media and earthly objects through cosmic-looking sculptures. Here's some heady artspeak for you, courtesy of Carnation Contemporary: "Consciousness moves between and within shared bodies to reimagine community and kinship on a planet where geologic time moves slow, but surface time moves fast. New, craggy landscapes emerge, powered by the hum of soft bodies and hardware."
Carnation Contemporary, North Portland (Saturday-Sunday; opening Saturday)
RCR Winter Skate Pop-Up
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Rose City Rollers' open-air skating rig at Lloyd Center will be up and running every weekend in January. As usual, the Skatemobile will be on site if you need to rent gear.
Lloyd Center Mall, Northeast (Saturday-Sunday)
